


Peel It Back

by Noelle



Category: Smallville
Genre: M/M, Non-Consensual, episode-related
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-03-23
Updated: 2005-03-23
Packaged: 2017-11-01 10:56:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/355870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Noelle/pseuds/Noelle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A missing scene from the episode "Sacred."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Peel It Back

## Peel It Back

by reetchick

<http://www.livejournal.com/users/reetchick>

* * *

Author's Note: Special thanks to Stone Princess, Deannie, Pun, and Bitsy Pookums for beta. All remaining errors are my own. 

* * *

_All the pigs are all lined up_ /  
 _I give you all that you want_ /  
 _Take the skin and peel it back_ /  
 _Now doesn't that make you feel better_?

\---March of the Pigs, Nine Inch Nails 

* * *

When Lex noticed the chains hanging from the ceiling, he realized things had taken a significant turn for the worse. 

He wrenched his body around, watching for the moment when Jason would notice the chains. A few steps farther and Jason went rigid for an instant before his controlled struggle turned into a vicious thrashing. 

Lex felt as though he should say something, remind Jason that his own life shouldn't be forfeit for the map's secrets - except, of course, they both knew that wasn't true. 

The taller of Jason's two guards raised a fist to him and barked something in Chinese; Jason seemed to understand his point well enough and stopped thrashing. Lex watched him glare at the guards as they shackled him to the pipe, waiting for the moment Jason's rage-filled gaze turned to him. 

He didn't wait long. 

Lex kept his eyes locked with Jason's. He could hear his blood rushing through his body, feel the tension in his muscles. Lex's mind raced as his arms were yanked upwards and chained. 

Lex looked around the room, searching out likely escape routes. He refused to dwell on how he'd lost control of the situation. That particular failure could be dealt with later on, once they'd escaped. Put some distance between themselves and their captors. 

Once they made it out of here alive. 

Jason's sharp, startled cry interrupted Lex's furious study of their surroundings. Lex's head snapped up, eyes locking on the cause of Jason's outburst. 

Another uniformed man was entering the room. He held a pail of water in one hand - and a pair of jumper cables in the other. 

"Fuck," Lex grunted, and immediately winced when he realized he'd spoken aloud. 

The man who'd been his contact stepped up to him, their bodies separated by barely an inch. 

"You have something to say, Mr. Luthor?" 

Lex refused to break the stare. He watched, mesmerized, as the man raised his hand above his head and brought it down in a wide arc, open palm cracking against Lex's cheek. 

"I do not believe I asked for your opinion." 

Lex could hear the metallic clanking of Jason's futile struggle. He wished Jason would realize he'd be better off conserving his energy, but didn't want to direct the guards' violence towards the younger man. 

The captain turned to Jason. "Well, well," he said in a low voice, "look what we have here." He raised his hand to Jason's face and ran his index finger down the line of Jason's cheekbone. 

Jason clenched his jaw, silently looking up and away from their captor. "It'll be a shame to mar such beauty, won't it?" 

Stepping away, the captain flicked his hand towards the man holding the cables. The soldier clamped a cable to a sponge and moved towards Jason. Jason's chest heaved as his breathing sped up; Lex could see panic in Json's wide eyes as Jason nearly hyper-extended his arms in a vain attempt at escape. 

No. No. It was his fault Jason was here; that they were in this situation was his doing, his cross to bear. Lex shouted at the soldiers, desperate to draw their attention back his way. 

With a sneer, the captain reached out. Tore Jason's shirt open. Stepped back. 

And smiled as the other man pressed the electrified sponge to Jason's chest. 

Lex felt Jason's screams vibrating off the concrete walls, found he couldn't look away from Jason's face as it contorted in pain, tasted his own blood as he bit down on his tongue to keep himself from screaming in sympathy, because _oh god electric shock he knew them he knew this he knew this pain_ \-- 

\--and snapped back to reality, the screaming over as abruptly as it had begun. 

Lex looked back as the captain stepped close to Jason once more, his finger outstretched to touch one of the thin lines of blood trailing down Jason's chest. 

"Lovely," he whispered. "Quite lovely." 

Something deep inside of Lex snapped. This man, this nobody he'd been foolish enough to use as an accomplice, was examining Jason - Jason, who was here because of Lex - as though he was an object. A _thing_. Lex's temper slipped from his control and he lunged forward, spitting his own blood at their captors as he cursed and raged at them. 

The captain struck him again, this time with a pistol clenched in his fist. "You fight and curse so eagerly for him," he said evenly. 

"You don't need him," Lex rasped hoarsely. "Let him go, he has nothing to do with this." 

"That may be so," the captain replied. "But you saw him - he suffers so prettily, don't you agree?" He snapped his fingers, and the sponge was once again pressed to Jason's bloodied flesh. 

Lex felt the skin on his wrists tear open as he strained against the chains, felt his voice tearing its way out of his throat, felt drops of _sweatbloodsomething_ run down, over his chin to spatter on the floor. He didn't care. It didn't matter. This shouldn't be happening; not to Jason, not here, not now. Not in front of him. Not to anyone. 

The air was rent with screams; whether they were his own or Jason's, Lex wasn't sure. Suddenly, the air was deathly still when Lex paused for breath - he looked up, horrified, to see Jason's slack body sagging, dead weight against the chains, eyes rolled back in his head. 

Lex kicked out savagely, the momentum allowing him to graze the captain with his foot. A barked command and the man with the sponges backed away from Jason, setting his instruments on a low wooden pallet and retreating to the shadows. 

The captain glared at him. "You wish for us to stop," he stated. "Perhaps this is because you are feeling...neglected?" 

Lex held himself in check, refusing to allow his body to react, not wanting to so much as twitch in front of this man. 

One eyebrow went up, as if the captain were assessing Lex. He nodded, barely moving his head, and called out in Chinese. 

Even though he knew - even though he expected it, though he'd planned for it - Lex felt his stomach lurch as the man emerged from the shadows, jumper cables clutched in his hands. 

* * *

Lex forced his eyelids open, knowing from the smell and the chill that circumstances hadn't improved since he'd lost consciousness. His arms burned from the unfamiliar strain of holding up his body; Lex shook his head, dragging his legs under him and making them take his weight. He inhaled, cold air rushing past his abraded throat, and took stock of the situation. Jason glanced at Lex, and his hooded eyes seemed to suggest he, too, had recently regained consciousness. 

It was obvious something had happened; their captors were clustered in a knot, voices low but urgent. It seemed as if a decision was being made; the soldier who had applied the cables was speaking quickly, gesturing at Lex and Jason and shaking his head. 

The captain had been quiet thus far; then, as if he'd gotten the information he required, raised his voice and spoke several words. The soldiers appeared to consent, though two of them looked unhappy about whatever decision had been reached. 

Turning on his heel, the captain's attention once again focused on his prisoners. "As our current method is not producing the desired results," he said slowly, "other measures are required." 

He put his right hand into his pocket, withdrawing a small key. Tapping it on the palm of his left hand, he eyed Jason speculatively. 

Lex's mind cleared quickly. Whatever the new plan was, he very much doubted that either he or Jason would find it an improvement. He steadied himself, trying to catch the captain's attention, to draw him away from Jason. 

Jason had been through enough, far more than Lex had ever expected to have to ask of him when this arrangement had begun. Far more than should be required of anyone, Lex thought. 

Decision made, the captain summoned two soldiers to his side, handing the key to one of them. Lex swallowed a groan as they passed by him. 

The captain came near, so close Lex could smell the tang of his sweat. "Your legs seem to be holding up well enough," he sneered at Lex. "But I think your young _associate_ could use a rest." 

Lex swivelled his head to his left, brow furrowing as the soldiers undid Jason's restraints. Jason caught himself, not allowing his legs to stutter under him as the guards frog-marched him over to stand in front of the captain. The taller of the two shoved Jason forward as they released him. Lex held his breath as Jason somehow managed to get his arms in front of himself quickly enough to keep himself from falling flat on the wet concrete floor. 

Jason straightened his back and brought his arms to his sides, righting himself with the same muted dignity he'd displayed throughout their ordeal. Life had taught Lex that adversity allowed a person to discover many things about himself; this was the first time he'd considered it might give him opportunity to discover things about Jason. 

Another twitch of the captain's head and the tall soldier carried him a length of chain. Lex watched as Jason's wrists were bound behind him and he was pulled to his feet once again. 

The captain walked to Lex's right side. At his signal, the taller soldier grabbed Jason's hair and used it to steer him until he stood directly in front of Lex. 

Addressing himself to Jason now, the captain's voice was hardly more than a whisper. "Before you rest your legs, however, there is one thing you need to do." 

Jason made no reply, but he flicked a glance in Lex's direction. He looked as anxious as Lex felt; they were virtually immobile, definitely outnumbered, and weak. Lex allowed himself the barest beginning of hope; perhaps whatever their captor wanted Jason to do would afford them an opening that could be exploited to their advantage. 

The captain leaned up to place his mouth so it almost touched Jason's ear. "I want you to take off Mr. Luthor's shirt." 

Jason made a noise that was half choking, half shocked laughter. His eyes widened, his head drawn back. "You've gotta be kidding me," he said. 

With a vicious strike of his closed fist, the captain bloodied Jason's lower lip. "I assure you I am not." 

Lex ducked his head to his own shoulder, wiping away the sweat as it popped out over his upper lip. He felt his breathing pick up speed. 

Holy Christ - just because he'd _thought_ about this didn't mean he _wanted_ it... 

...did it? 

And then Jason's face was being pushed right into his, and Lex tried to keep his expression blank, his eyes from giving up his thoughts, absurdly grateful his arms were bound because he wanted to reach out and just grab him, pull Jason up to his own chest and. 

"His shirt," the captain's sneering voice said. 

There was a feral glint in Jason's eyes. Lex heard the chain clatter as Jason shook his shackled wrists, snarling, "How do you expect me to do that?" 

There was no other word for the look on the captain's face - he was leering. "Be...resourceful." With a laugh, he drove his flattened palm into the space between Jason's shoulder blades, effectively throwing him onto Lex's chest. 

"Push me up," Jason said under his breath, and Lex rocked forward so Jason could regain his balance. 

Their eyes met again, and Lex was overwhelmed by all he saw in them - betrayal and sorrow and apology and horrified resignation. 

But not fear. Not fear. 

Jason opened his mouth as if to say something, then exhaled almost silently. With another deep breath, Jason lowered his head to Lex's chest. 

And bit off the uppermost button, turning his head to spit it onto the floor. 

Lex held his breath and forced himself to watch Jason carefully put his mouth to the next button, and the next, biting each of them in turn and spitting them out. Jason bent his head to the fifth button, but the captain's hand in his hair jerked him backwards before he could take it in his teeth. 

"Acceptable," the captain said, his face flushed for reasons Lex didn't care to think about. "But we've created an imbalance, which is...not acceptable." 

Moving swiftly, his hands steady, he unsheathed a knife from a concealed pocket and set the point to Jason's throat. Lex saw the first glimmer of real fear Jason had shown so far as the knife's point began to mark the smooth skin of his throat. 

"No!" he shouted, regretting his outburst even as it slipped from his mouth. He knew that loss of control would do them no good, and might well condemn both of them to something far more humiliating. 

The captain grinned over his shoulder at Lex and quickly whipped the knife from Jason's throat to the back collar of his shirt to neatly slice the fabric down the center. A few more flicks of the blade and the ruined shirt fell in tatters at Jason's feet. 

"Balance," the captain intoned. "Much more pleasing to the eye." 

The fury and helplessness rose up and threatened to choke Lex. "God dammit, you fucking sick _cocksucker_ ," he growled as he stared at their tormentor, too angry to consider the consequences. 

The captain searched Lex's face, his own remaining impassive. Wordlessly, he nodded at the man hovering over Jason, who responded by tightening the fingers twisted in Jason's hair and shoving him back down to his knees. 

"You use an interesting epithet, Mr. Luthor." The captain raised his joined hands to his mouth, running one finger over his lower lip, and turned to bend and murmur in Jason's ear. 

Unable to hear the captain's words, the defiant twitch Jason gave as he heard them gave Lex an inkling of what was said. Jason leaned back on his heels, attempting to get his chained form as far from Lex's body as possible, sputtering and protesting vehemently. 

Lex protested as well, shouting and railing at their captors. Another signal from the captain and a soldier stepped forward to place a gun at Jason's temple, immediately quieting them both. 

"As I said," the captain intoned. "You will fellate Mr. Luthor." 

_Oh, God, no,_ Lex thought. He glanced down at Jason to see him breathing deeply and staring at the floor. 

Casting a quick eye at their captors, Lex calculated the chances of being allowed to speak, or how long he'd be allowed to speak before he was forcibly silenced. 

"Just get it over with," he muttered under his breath, saying what he hoped Jason needed to hear. "It doesn't mean anything, and it'll keep you alive." 

Jason slowly turned his face upwards, his eyes cold and hard. "Is that the advice you'd want if you were the one doing...if you were on your knees ..." He tripped over the last few words. 

Lex exhaled deliberately, his eyes never leaving Jason's. "Yes," he said, willing his conviction into his voice. "It's worth your life. Even though you'll -- we'll hate it." 

And for one insane moment, Lex wished that he'd be _able_ to hate it, if only because that might make it easier for Jason to come to terms with once it was over. 

"Christ," Jason hissed. " _Christ_." He sucked in another few breaths. "All right; all right. I have to get through this, I have to get back to...I have to get back." 

Jason silently mouthed Lana's name, his face softening as he did so. Lex felt a sharp answering pain in his own chest. God. How had he forgotten? Bad enough he was being forced into this, but to be in love with someone else at the same time.... 

He took another look around the room, willing himself to memorize each face now staring at the pair of them. _Seven guards_ , he thought. _Seven captors_. _Seven men I'm going to have killed_. 

They both started at the click of the gun pointed at Jason's head being cocked. "I grow impatient," the captain said, a new glimmer in his eyes. 

Jason cleared his throat and bent his head to the clasp of Lex's pants. 

Some small, detached part of Lex's mind noted that this was an experience Lex had never had before; a bound man attempting to undo his pants, Lex himself unable to assist. Under normal circumstances, he would have found it incredibly erotic. 

A part of him still did. 

Jason struggled for some moments before catching the edge of the fabric with his teeth and tugging it free of the clasp. He used his cheek to nudge aside the loose flap, flinching when his face briefly came into contact with Lex's flaccid penis. 

Lex felt an odd sense of pity and concern. If a simple touch - through clothing, no less - made Jason falter, it was possible Jason might not be able to complete the task set him. 

Shaking his head as if to clear it, Jason gingerly burrowed further into the opening of Lex's pants, trying to get at the second button. Lex felt hot breath through the fabric of his pants as he exhaled in frustration and bit down on his lip, hard, to keep from responding to the sensation. Jason didn't need to know anything about Lex's internal conflict. 

Fascinated, Lex watched Jason extend his tongue under the button and pull it forward far enough that he could bite it off, much as he'd done with the buttons on Lex's shirt. Jason spat the button and moved back to Lex's zipper. It seemed he'd decided to attack this task, presumably to end it quickly. 

Leaning to the left, Jason grabbed the edge of the zipper with his teeth and pulled it down in one fluid motion. Lex's now-unfastened pants sagged, exposing a small triangle of smooth skin. 

Catching his breath, Jason risked a quick look up, a faint blush rising on his cheeks. Insanely, Lex found himself holding back a laugh - everything that had happened to them, and Jason was shocked to not find underwear? Lex bit down on his lip again before any noise could slip out. 

Jason closed his eyes and hummed softly to himself, gnawing on his lower lip. He swayed to his right, taking the waistband of Lex's pants in his teeth and dragging them down over hip and thigh. 

Lex didn't want to think about his reasons, but he could no more make himself look away from the man kneeling at his feet than he could stop his own heart from beating. Lex couldn't make himself stop looking, and he couldn't make himself stop thinking how absolutely, utterly gorgeous Jason looked in that position, his mouth open, eyes closed, blood and sweat smeared on his bruised face. 

And at that moment - 

(I don't want this) 

\-- Lex realized -- 

(then why aren't you fighting it) 

\-- he was - 

(you sick fuck) 

\--horribly, incredibly -- 

(freak) 

\-- _aroused_. 

Lex discovered that Jason had mirrored his actions on Lex's left side, leaving the pants to fall down around Lex's ankles, exposed to the air and the watchful eyes of their captors. A rough noise as Jason cleared his throat yet again - closed his eyes - licked his lips - 

-and took Lex's cock fully into his mouth. 

This time Lex couldn't help but react, and he had to believe even Jason would understand; this was purely tactile, a base response to stimuli, certainly he'd have expected this would happen - he had to know.... 

Lex felt the short puffs of air on his skin as Jason kept breathing through his nose, keeping his tongue still and working up and down Lex's length with his warm, wet mouth. Lex bit his own lip hard in an effort to keep their tormentors from hearing his reactions. 

Eyes still fixed on the back of Jason's head, he watched how the muted lights danced on Jason's golden-brown hair as Jason rocked back and forth, Lex's cock rapidly hardening in response to the motion. Lex watched the play of Jason's muscles on his back as he moved, on Jason's shoulders against the tension of the chains, around his eyes as he kept them tightly closed. 

Lex found himself grateful for the tight control he'd kept over his voice when a single tear ran down Jason's left cheek, mingling with the blood already starting to dry. He looked away then, wishing he could do more for Jason than extend him this one meager bit of privacy. 

With a muffled groan, Jason opened his mouth wider and backed away from Lex, exposing his now fully erect cock to the cool, dank air. Jason ducked his head to his shoulder, wiping the moisture from his face and angrily shaking away the gun still pointed at his temple. 

Lex snapped his head around to look at the soldier wielding the gun. "He's cooperating now," Lex growled. "Perhaps you could manage to take a step back." 

The man glanced at Lex, then looked at his superior officer for guidance. With a terse nod, permission was given, and the armed man backed a few feet away from Jason. 

Jason looked up at Lex again, a sense of reluctant appreciation on his face. He moved his lips as if to form words, but the sound wouldn't come. Lex shook his head at him, not needing to hear it, not wanting Jason to have to say whatever he thought he needed to. 

"Forget it," Lex said calmly. Bracing himself mentally, he stared intently at Jason. "You know what they're waiting for." 

Jason nodded. 

"Can you," - Lex paused to rephrase his question - "are you going to be able to-" 

"Finish you off?" Jason interrupted. He snorted. "Don't have a choice, do I." He bit his lip for a moment, studying Lex's face, then closed his eyes. 

Jason's lips trembled as he spoke. "I could - look - we want to get this over with, right, and I'm thinking I could - I mean, I know how to make this," he swallowed, and his voice dropped to a whisper, "better. For you." 

Lex found himself bereft of words. This was unreasonable, this wasn't happening, this was _ridiculous_ \-- he shouldn't allow himself to derive pleasure from what Jason was being forced to do. 

He wouldn't. 

Lex's right bicep twitched abortively, betraying his instinct to reach down to touch Jason's face, a bizarre urge to comfort amidst horror. The armed guard scowled at them, and Lex knew they were treading on dangerous ground. 

"The decision is yours," Lex said solemnly. "Whatever you need to do to get through this." 

Jason's gaze was focused on Lex's lips, but Lex could tell his mind was thousands of miles away. Jason took a deep, bracing breath and bent forward, then stopped to shoot a panicked look at Lex. 

"Tell me," Jason said plaintively. "Say something, before you...." 

_Before I come_ , Lex finished mentally, but quietly, formally said, "Of course." 

Jason nodded, closed his eyes, and took Lex's erection into his mouth again. 

It was hot and it was tight and it was wet, and sweet Jesus, Jason wasn't kidding when he said he could make it better. 

Tongue darting around the head of Lex's cock, down the top of his shaft and back up and around again, saliva starting to leak out one side of Jason's mouth down his face, and suction the suction god oh _god_. 

And again, Jason's quick tongue dancing into the slit stealing the already-escaping fluid, and this was _wrong_ it was _sick_ how the fuck could he be _enjoying_ this, here, like this, with a gun trained on both of them - chained up like animals - blood flowing from still-open wounds but it didn't matter, none of it mattered because it was so good, it felt so good, the hell with the rest of it. 

Heat curled around the base of his spine and streamed into his balls, the tension winding up and carrying him higher, higher, so close and then he felt the tip of his cock bump the back of Jason's throat, and he just barely managed to force out a word, guttural and harsh but he'd promised, he had to say something, anything, so he gritted out 

"Jase - Jason - you're so - I'm - " and then it was there, it hit him and rippled all the way up his raw flesh up and out and he was _coming_ , coming into Jason's mouth and Jason was gagging, trying to back away but the guard had stepped up to him and grabbed his head and held him there, kept him still as Lex came in his mouth, bitter fluid gushing out of him into Jason's mouth and trickling back out the sides. 

Lex forced himself to slow his breathing, watching through narrowed eyes as Jason's hair was released, as Jason folded nearly in half and retched, his stomach's contents hitting the cement floor and pooling at Lex's feet. Jason spit, his breathing raspy and wet, the awful sound of gagging still heavy in the air. 

Heavy footsteps approached. "And now, Mr. Luthor," that damned familiar voice said smoothly, as if nothing had happened, "we will resume our conversation." 

Of the thousand things he could have done in that instant - yelled, cursed, spit, cried, talked, begged - he didn't know what to do. All his father's lessons, all the things he'd learned from his life experiences, all the instincts he possessed - not one of them any use at all. 

Suddenly two more guards burst into the room, agitated and speaking rapidly, and it was obvious something was wrong; the captain stepped away from Jason and yelled at one of his soldiers. The man snapped into motion, slapping Jason and hoisting him to his feet, unlocking and refastening his chains to bind him to the ceiling again. Another guard rushed to Lex and yanked his trousers up, roughly fastening them. The room was a mass of rushing, confused men all momentarily ignoring both captives. 

Lex sagged against his shackles, ignoring his torn wrists, only wanting relief from the sick feeling in his stomach. 

It had been a long while since Lex had felt this unsure, this unsteady, and he remembered vividly how much he detested it. 

Hesitant, Lex looked over at Jason, wanting to check on him but afraid of what he'd see. Jason stood absolutely still, dark smudges coloring the spaces beneath his glassy eyes. 

"All right?" Lex asked, inanely. 

Jason just stood and stared. His tongue darted out to moisten his swollen lower lip and he flinched at the movement, the taste. Just as Lex thought he wouldn't get an answer, he heard Jason breathe out one single word. 

"No." 


End file.
